The Twelve Labors of Heracles
by PrinceAladdin2
Summary: One man. Twelve labors. Twelve dangers. Twelves chances at death. No problem. Read and Review.
1. Birth

The Twelve Labors of Heracles

**The Twelve Labors of Heracles**

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Heracles or the myths about him. They belong to the Ancient Greeks. Enjoy!**_

Chapter 1: Birth

Zeus smiled as he looked down on Alcmene from the heights of Olympus. She was the greatest of mortal women, the kindest, most beautiful, wisest, most courageous, and the most modest. Her long, midnight black hair complimented her ivory white skin perfectly. Her lips were as red as blood, her nose was perfectly shaped, and she had excellent figure. She was so much more beautiful than Hera that he fell in love with her instantly. However, she was so loyal to her mortal husband, Amphitryon, that he had to take his form to father a child with her. But today, this child was to be born.

"At last!" shouted Zeus, filled with all the pride and joy of a new father on a divine scale. His brown hair and beard shown amidst the lighting of his happiness, which was reflected on his multicolored robe woven of the souls of heroes and heroines and warriors of ages long past. "At last the child of my dreams, the greatest of mortal man, shall be born!"

"WHAT!!" screamed Hera, running into the room like a Fury. "Another child?! You are the most faithless husband ever!" she shouted, wishing she could kill him right then and there. She was actually quite beautiful, just as beautiful as Alcmene, only amplified to the scale of a goddess, and a queen of goddesses. She wore a long flowing robe of white and black, woven from the skins and spirits of monsters and the love from every happy marriage in the universe. However, she had almost none of Alcmene's inner beauty when angry, but was still capable of love, which was why she had not divorced Zeus long ago. She did not linger to talk to Zeus, but stormed out of the room after finishing her rant. Zeus shrugged, and looked down on Alcmene's home, where her labor was beginning.

Alcmene shook and screamed as she gave birth. It was fitting. Her son was to be the greatest of mortal man, so it seemed right that Alcmene's labor was the greatest of mortal labor. Her screams were so loud that small hills crumbled to dust, thieves and robbers were frightened, and monsters were startled for a few moments. Her movements were so intense, yet graceful, that her labor would have been mistaken for dancing if she had not been in agony or lying down. However, in the end, it was all worth it. Alcmene's son was amazing. He was a healthy baby with eyes blue as the night sky and hair as yellow as celestial gold, which was odd, since babies were usually born bald. He also did not cry when being born, but instead laughed, a strong, full-throated laugh. His arms were balls of muscle, and from the beginning, everyone knew he was strong. But no one knew just how strong he was until he was one year old.


	2. First Kill

Yay

_**Yay! I got my first two reviews from someone other than myself! Thanks WiseGirl101 and greaserlvr54. I won't let you down! Now, enjoy!**_

Chapter 2: First Kill

Hera was livid. All the anger and hatred she had for Zeus' son but had restrained for the past mortal year was building up inside of her and was about to be let out. Hera breathed, and two streams of a sickly green mist emerged from her mouth. The mist twisted and coiled and began to solidify. First the streams thickened. Then it grew green scales, overlapping to make armor that could never be breached. After that, it gained features and fangs filled with enough poison to kill an elephant in half a minute. Finally, it gained strength enough to crush a baby elephant. The change was complete. Where two strands of smoke had been before, there were now two snakes, deadly as Hera's anger, but as beautiful as evil can become.

"Go forth, my beauties," crooned Hera as she held her snakes in her hands and stroked them. "Go to the home of Alcmene and kill her eldest son. He is a son of Zeus, but mortal and, of course, vulnerable. Also kill his younger brother, Iphicles. He may not be a son of Zeus, but he could tell the others of what happened to the boy I hate," she told the serpents.

"We hear and obey, my queen," the snakes hissed as they slithered out of the palace. Hera smiled to herself. These serpents were loyal, deadly, powerful and perfectly indestructible. The boy would be dead soon, and she, Hera, queen of the gods, would have her revenge on her accursed husband. She walked off, smiling, unaware that Zeus had been watching and listening to everything that Hera had done.

Meanwhile, at Alcmene's home, her sons slept in the burnished gold and brass shield that was their cradle, completely unaware of their impending doom. However, the serpents were, slowly but surely, reaching their destination. At twelve o' clock midnight that night, the serpents crawled into the boys' room and began squeezing the boys, crushing them in the deadly loop of their bodies. The boys awoke, and Iphicles screamed like a mad man in pain. But his brother was silent, thinking about what to do. Even as an infant, he was as wise as he was strong, which meant he was incredibly wise. After considering what to do for a moment, he grasped one snake in each hand, and began to squeeze. Instantly the pain, which on the elder boy was like a mere bee sting, but on the younger was the worst thing he had ever experienced in his young life, stopped. Instead, the snakes felt the pain that Iphicles had felt. It was too much for the snakes. They died in seconds and dissolved into green smoke. Alcmene rushed into the room with a sword in hand. She found her eldest son smiling, and he youngest in a faint. "Oh, my sweet baby. Look at how strong you are. You stopped whatever danger there was all on your own. Come to thick of it, we never gave you a name. I thick I'll call you _Heracles_."


End file.
